MacNeil, the old Scottish preacher, used to say, “Most of us Christians are just a bundle of wants. We should remember, however, that our wants don’t always co incide with our needs!” The second verse tells us, “He maketh me to lie down in green pas tures.” Work without rest is like overwinding a watch. No part of our nature cries out more urgently for rest than our spiritual lives. When things go wrong and we're depressed, frustrated, d iscouraged , anxious, worried, and lack patience, He may have to make us rest. Where do we find this refreshment for our souls but in the Word of God?. Hungry sheep will not lie down. I f there is dissatisfaction in your soul, it may basically be dissatisfac tion with yourself, with your job, the amount of money you’re making, with the things that others have and that you seemingly cannot have. If you’re dissatisfied, you’re never go ing to lie down in the green pastures God has provided so abundantly. You must realize that the Psalmist rightly exhorts us to delight our selves first of all in the Lord and then He can bestow upon us the de sires of our hearts. We have a ten dency to rest and to place our con fidence in others or in things which we have accumulated in our own might and power. This reminds me of the little girl who said, “I don’t need to pray any more that I won’t get polio because I just had my vac cination.” This is a paradox, for you wouldn’t think one would have to be made to lie down in green pas tures for refreshment. The difficulty is that too many of us have found pasture for ourselves and thereby have shown no interest in the Lord’s providing them for us. Not only does the Lord supply us pasture but the Psalmist goes on to say, “He leadeth me beside the still waters.” You see, the green pastures are only the beginning. He doesn’t 15
the little Sunday school girl trans lated it, “The Lord is my Shepherd; He’s all that I want.” In a sense she was certainly correct, because when we read the words, “I shall not want” we have to say that this means any thing that is good for me will not be withheld by my gracious Shep herd. There is suggestion by some schol- Please pray for me, my friend! I need your prayers, For there are burdens pressing hard, And many cares; Pray, too, that Christ will make of me The Christian that I ought to be. Do pray for me, my friend, At morning hour, That I may not be overborne By Satan's pow'r; That, 'mid the whirl and maze of "things" M y soul may drink of hidden springs. Cease not to pray for me, Tho' sundered far, Come, meet me at the mercy seat From where you are; Nor time nor distance can divide Our hearts that in His love abide. Thus, praying each for each. That will come true Of which our Lord and Master spake, " If two of you;" No purer joy may friendship share Than in the fellowship of prayer. — T. O. Chisholm ars that this Psalm was written originally to be sung as a hymn of praise, so that after each phrase the chorus, “I shall not want” appears. In other words it would run, “He maketh me to lie down in green pas tures; I shall not want. He leadeth me beside the still waters; I shall not want. My cup runneth over; I shall not want,” and so on. John PRAY FOR ME, MY FRIEND ("Brethren, pray for us." I Thess. 5:25)
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker